Liquid flow regulator



Aug. 5, 1952 H. c. FISCHER LIQUID FLOW REGULATOR Filed Oct. 9, 1947 I v if,

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1952 V LI nm FLOW REGULATOR, 7 Harry C.-Fischer, Plymouth,.Mich., assignor to Temprite Products Corporation, Detroit, Mich J I a corporation of Michigan 1 Application October ,9, 1947,.SerialNo. 718,877

The invention relates to apparatus for automatically regulating the flow of liquids so as to 4 Claims. (01. 137--505)- Ii provide a uniform rate of flow notwithstanding variation of the pressure at which the fluid is supplied to the apparatus.

The main object of the invention isto provide an automatic flow regulator which is capable of .afiecting uniform flow under large variation of the supply pressure and yet is small, compact, or simple construction and susceptible, correspondingly, of production at low cost;

, A further object of the invention is to provide a flow regulator having parts that lend themselves to low cost methods of production.

Other objects of the invention, more or less incidental or ancillary to those above stated will be apparent from the description which follows.

With the indicated objects in view, the invention consists in certain combinations and arrangements of parts which will be pointed out and explained in connection with the ac-. companying drawing showing a preferred embodiment and, finally more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a combined flow regulating and valve device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line Z'-2 of Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4l of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the construction illustrated, I designates generally an integral easing element having a vertically disposed inlet section 2, a horizontally extending'discharge section 3 with outlet opening 3a and a diaphragmhousing section 4. i

The inlet section 2 of the casing member I is internally threaded to receive a fitting 5 to which in turn is secured, as by brazing/a male coupling member 6 which provides an inlet lid for the casing structure. A female coupling member 1 has a swivelin engagement with the member 6.

' A valve member 8 and a cooperating soft seat 9 of rubber or the like are provided to control the fluid passage of the casing. Valve 8 may conveniently be formed as shown from hexagonal bar stock so that it will be guided for axial movement in the bore of member 5. The valve is normally pressed against the seat 9 by a coiled spring l0 resting upon the internal flange of member 6.

'Means for openingthe valve 8 is provided the form of a plunger 11 which has its enlarged upper end slidably fitted in the bore la '01? the casing I, while its lower end of reduced diameter engages the socket iormed invalve'8. The'en larged upper end of "spindle II is groovedto r'e' ceive an Q-ringpack'ing l2." x i i The'casing element l is formed with a horizontal bo're lb which has its axis coincident with that of the outlet branch 3 of the casing and laterally offset from the axis of the inlet bore lq. of the casing so that the adjacent sides of the two bores la and lb' intersect as shown in Fig.3 to provide a communicating control aperture'il'c between them which divides the passageway through the casing structurei'nto inlet and out letparts." In the bore lb" is mounted a'plunger generally designated by'the numeral l3 and coin prising a piston l3a and a stem l3b. The piston slidably fits the bore lb and cooperates with the aperture lc as shown in Fig. 2 to control the flow from the bore la into the bore lb. The stem 13b; extending through bore lb, forms an annular space Id of which stem l3b constitutes the inner wall. The end "of stem I32) extends through the center of a'flexible diaphragm of rubber or the like'and is fastened thereto with a fluid-tight joint by'nutlfiand washers l6, IT. The periphery of the diaphragm I4 is secured with a fluid-tight joint to the section 4 of the casing by means of sleeve l8 which is exteriorly threaded to engage mating threads'in casing part 4,18. metal ring or washer l 9 being interposed between the diaphragmarid the sleeve l8. Thusa diaphragm chamber id is provided withan annular opening Id adjacent the controlaperture lc. The regulating plunger [3 is drilled out at its free end to form an axial bore l3c which at one end'communicates directly with the bore lb and at its other end communicates with said bore through radial apertures l3d and l3e at'points adjacent the piston l3a of the plunger. 'Tliis' bore l 30 is made sufficiently small to insure maintenance of the necessary regulating pressure in the diaphragm chamber. r

It will be noted that a portion of the annular space ld, the radial apertures l3d, I3e and axial bore l3c constitute conduit means with several turns, or changes of direction, for conveying liquid from the control aperture lc into the outlet part of thepassage way of the casing l. It is also apparent from Fig. 2 that liquid projected through the controlaperture, moving at an acute angle to the plunger'stem I3b, strikes the'side of the stemwithin the annular opening Id of the di aphragm chamber 4a. Thence the flowing'liq'uid stream continues through radial apertures 13d, He and bore l3c into the discharge part of the casing. Thus the liquid on the outlet side of control aperture lc has free access through opening Id to the diaphragm chamber 4a and the inner side of the diaphragm is subjected to whatever pressure is set up in the annular space or opening "ld; .On ,itsaother side, the diaphragm is subject to the pressure of a coil spring which is interposed betweenthe diaphragm and a threaded disk 2| which adjustably engages in ternal threads in the sleeve I8. By adjustment of disk 2|, which is slotted to receive an adjusting tool, the position of the spring 20 in. itsiunloaded state, can be varied to determine the-pm sition of diaphragm l4 and piston 13. In assembling the device, the disk 2| preferably is adiusted so that the spring 20 in a substantially unloaded state will position the right end of the a piston 13a (as viewed in Fig. 2) slightly to the right; of a. .planethrough the axis of. the inlet boreiw anchat. right angles to the "discharge bore-lib. 4

Eorexplanat-ion of? the-operationot the-device, itwillbeassumed that the inlet opening Ba of the casing structure is connected. with some suitable source of fluid supply by means. of coupling 1 and that. therii-sc-harge branch of the casing is connected. with conduit means leading -.to .a point-or discharge or. of use of the fluid under pressure. The device ;applicable to a widevarietyof uses orapplicati-ons, but inthe specific formillustrated is designed: to control the supply of water to .a drinking fountain and. as water supply pressures areiikely-to vary Widely, a description :ofthe operation or the, device in such .an application will-serve to explain its advantageous operating characteristics.

the operation of drinking fountains, the flow of water is .normally shut off and is turned on byithe user of. the. fountain by the operation oracontrol valve by some manual device which, in this .case, will be assumed to engage the plunger H. and depress. it against the tension of spring I .01 to open the control valve 8. Before the vaflrve '8 is opened water filling the apparatus oil-the outlet side of the valve is. at th pressure or the atmosphere. On the opening of the valve water. underpressure passes (from the bore I a through aperture [0. :intothe annular space M and thence through apertures 13d, [Be and bore 13c to. thepassage-way in discharge branch. 3 of the-casing. As the. water-encounters the resist anceoi the restricted bore -l=3c-pressure builds up in the diaphragm chamber and causes the diaphragm to.- position the piston l.3a,- accordingto the supplypressure, in a. manner to regulate flow through the aperture lo and tending to maintain the. rate of flow therethroug-h constant. Thus if thersupply'pressure in bore I-a increasesthepressure on the diaphragm will increase and the diaphragm and piston will more, against th pressure or spring 20,, to reduce the aperture lo. and throttle th flow so that the pressure in the discharge passage oi the casing and the rate or flow therethrough will tend toremain constant notwithstanding variations in the fluid supply pressure.

This result is secured also by prior small liquid flow regulators of. the spring-pressed diaphragm typebut. only within a quite limited range. of supply pressure variation. Beyond such limited variations thesmall diameter diaphragm of the prior device failsto make the required compensation-for the increase in supply pressure. because of the internal tensional forces set up in the diaphragm between the central and peripheral parts thereof as it departs from flat to conical or frusto-conical form, these internal forces, which increase rapidly with the diaphragm movement, being added to the substantially constant resistance of the diaphragm spring. The resulting variations in the resistance to the diaphragm movement could be avoided by increasing the diameter of the diaphragm to give it sufficient capacity for free axial movement, but such change would unduly increase the size, weight and cost of the device and so does not offer a practical solution of the Problem.

:By; the present-invention th problem in question is solved conducting the flow of the liquid from the inlet bore Ia into the outlet part of the casing in the manner already indicated which is such that a velocity effect of th liquid forced through the control aperture lc by the high inlet pressure is applied tothe liquid in annular opening id. andchamber la and such that this velocity effect increases with increase in the liquid supply pressure. g

The manner in which this is accomplishedrin the construction illustrated wil1 be understood from a. consideration of Fig. 2. Here it will. be seen that the center of the liquid stream, or, in other words, the direction of the. liquid flow, is in a line. through the .axis of the inletbore la and the center of the. efiective part of aperture to; and also that the flow will always.- be at an acute angle against the plunger stem [3b and directed toward the diaphragm .14. Consequently the liquid stream, will always, have a velocity effect at least part of which will be converted into liquid pressure in. the annular space lid and the com.- municating chamber 4a.. This velocity-generated pressure is. added to and increases the static pressure in the diaphragm chamber but none of the velocity effect generated at the control .aperture is present in the liquid stream delivered into the outlet part of the casing passage-way because such velocity effect (or momentum) is a directional or vector quantity and any :part of it not converted into static pressure in the diaphragm chamberis dissipated in the flowing liquid by the latters changes of direction, exceeding degrees, inv passing from the annular space Id to the bore I30.

It follows that the diaphragm pressure which opposes the coil spring 20 will always incl-udethe velocity eilect element explained. Furthermore, itv will be seen that as the: supply pressure in the inlet lbore increases, the. rightward movement of the plunger due. to the increased static pressure againstv the diaphragm will make the angl of liquid flow into the annular part of the bore lb more acute to the side of stem 131), so that the direction of the flow past the plunger and generally toward the diaphragm gradually appreachesa line normal to the diaphragm and the velocity-effect component of the pressure on the diaphragm is the resultant of both the increase of the supply pressure and the change in direction of the flow past the plunger, both factors acting to increase the effect. Th result is that the variable velocity effect, increasing with the increase of fluid supply pres-sure, compensates for the increasing internal stress in the small diameter diaphragm so that'the latter serves adequately to compensate for inlet water pressure variation. over a wide range of values.

In the specific construction shown in Fig. 2, liquid flowing in bore I30 of stem [3b has a velocity effect that generates pressure in the disaction on stem I3?) toward the diaphragm I4, which reaction is added to the outward fluid pressure on the diaphragm. However, this velocity effect does not vary as does that in the annular passage Id and diaphragm chamber 4a because it is aways in the same direction and is generated by the substantially constant pressure in passages I3d, l3e. As already noted, these latter passages are not subject to the variable velocity effect in passage Id. Consequently the pressure in them is determined by the over-all or compensated regulating effect of the diaphragm.

Thus, as a result of the present improved construction, a small, light-weight and low-cost regulating device is produced capable of maintaining an adequately uniform discharge of water over a range of inlet pressure variation eight or ten times as great as is permissible without the automatically varied velocity pressure eifect. The practical significance of this for drinking fountain application is that one setting or adjustment of the device at th factory will adapt a drinking fountain to operate with a substantially uniform discharge stream for any supply pressure likely to be encountered, whereas it has been necessary with prior fountain equipment to adjust the regulator in the field to different average supply pressures at different points of use and, even then, if the supply pressure varies widely an objectionably variable discharge stream is secured.

Where both the automatic regulation and the manual control of flow are required simplicity and low cost are attained by combining both functions in the one fitting. However, it is apparent that the manual shutoff valve can be omitted when only the regulating function is required.

It will be appreciated that since the plunger 13 functions only as a regulator its piston need not have a highly accurate fit in the bore of the casing, also that the formation of passages in the plunger permits corresponding simplification of the casing structure while the passages are readily formed in the small symmetrical plunger part by low cost machinin operations.

It will be apparent, too, that the automatically varied velocity effect upon which the invention is based can'be secured with various forms of casing and regulating plunger constructions equivalent mechanically to the construction shown and described and it is to be understood that the invention includes such modified constructions as are properly within the bounds of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In liquid flow control apparatus, the combination of a casing structure having an inlet opening and an outlet opening and a connecting passage-way between the said openings including a control aperture and having walls arranged to form in cooperation with a diaphragm a chamber having an opening adjacent to the outlet side of the control aperture in a position to receive liquid projected through said aperture and against a wal1 of the opening; movable means associated with the casing structure for controlling the liquid fiow through the casing passageway to maintain uniform the rate of said flow under varying liquid supply pressure, said movable control means comprising a plunger interposed in the passageway on the outlet side of and adjacent to the controlaperture to variably restrict fiow there-through, a diaphragm having its central part connected to the plunger and its peripheral part connected to the diaphragm chamber walls, said diaphragm, in response to liquid pressure on the inner side thereof, serving to move the plunger in the direction to reduce the capacity of the control aperture and meanwhile sustaining internal distortional stresses opposing the movement which increase as the movement progresses, and a coil spring engaging the outer side of the diaphragm to resist the specified movement of the diaphragm and plunger; and conduit means for conveying liquid from the control aperture to the discharge part of the casing passage-way in a path that changes direction not less than degrees, the control aperture, the inlet part of the casing passageway adjacent said aperture, the plunger and the said wall of the diaphragm chamber opening being formed and arranged to project a liquid stream through the aperture and against said wall at an acute angle and to decrease the angle of incidence of the stream on the said wall as the plunger moves in the aperture-closing direction.

'2. A liquid flow control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the plunger is formed with passages to convey the liquid from the control aperture to the outlet part of the casing passageway.

3. Liquid flow control apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the plunger comprises piston and stem parts and the plunger passages comprise a radial passage in the stem adjacent to the end of the piston and an axial passage through the piston which receives fluid from the radial passage and delivers it into the outlet part of the casing passage-way.

4. Liquid flow control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the casing passage-way has a straight inlet part and a straight outlet part disposed in different directions and spaced apart laterally with a port between them to form the control aperture, and in which the plunger is movably arranged in the outlet part of the passage-way and comprises a piston part which serves by its movement to vary the siz of the said aperture and a stem part which is connected to the diaphragm.

HARRY C. FISCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

May 11, 1943 (abandoned). 

